Disappearing bed



Aug. 13, 1929. E. H. BEAN DISAPPEARING BED Filed April 20. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Aug. 13, 1929. E, H, BEAN 1,724,066

DI SAPPEARING BED Filed April 20, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 El Y 1"); ,1 l

Patented Aug. 13, 1929.

ELFEN H. BEAN, OF KITCHENER, ONTARIO, CANADA.

l DISAPPEABING BED.

Application mea apra zo, 1927. semi No. 1235,239.

My present invention relates to beds and has particular reference to that-.type of furniture known as a disappearing bed. In the embodiment which I have herein dis- 6 closed the bed is stored within a hollow mantel structure in the front wall of which there is a fire-place opening and the walls of the ireplace back of the opening are adapted to collapse whenever the bed por- 10 tion is lowered to use the bed.

I am aware of the fact that numerous methods and structures have. been devised to provide disappearing beds for the purpose of economizing the floor space 1n smaller or restricted apartments, and 1n most of these instances it has been necessary to build a large chamber .or compartment mto 'which the bed is ymoved and y,

stored when not in use. It has also been the practice to mount the bed upon a double-door, which, uponA being opened, will permit the use of the bed. The chief objection to most'of the prior structures has been that it is always necessary to construct or build into the apartment a special chamber of no ,small dimensions to accommodate the bed, which chamber, while it may be conveniently utilized for the storvage of clothing, trunks, and other articles, nevertheless reduces the size of one or more of the rooms adjacent thereto. Most apartments are provided in one or more of its rooms with a mantel and replace which usually extend into the room a small distance and are more or less ornate, and in designing my invention I have therefore utilized the space back of the front wall of the mantel and below its shelf for the storage of the bed, thus providing a convenient article of furniture without detracting from the ap earance of the room and without diminis ing itsfloor or ivall space thereof. As only the fro'nt wall of the mantel structure is movable `to use the bed it is unnecessary to remove articles from the manperforming the function for which it is designed, and which is compact in the arran ement and disposition of its parts. I pre er to carry out my invention in substantially the manner hereinafter fully described and as more particularly pointed4 out in the appended claims, reference being herein made to the accompanying drawings that form-a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical front elevation of a mantel and fire-place with my invention incorporated therein.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on line A-A of Figure 1, looking in the direction ofthe arrows and showing the structure in closed position.

Figure 3 is a fragmental sectional detail taken on line B-B of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows and drawn to a larger scale.

Figure 4 is a` vertical transverse section taken on .line C-C Figure 5 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the relative positions of the parts of the bed, the mantel, and the fireplace walls when the structure is opened to use the bed,

Figure 5 is a vertical front elevation of the structure illustrated in Figure 1 when the same is opened as in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmental view, partly in section on line D--D of Figure 4, showing in detail the roller and guide devices.

These drawings are, in a sense, merely 'schematic for the purpose of illustrating a typical -or preferred embodiment of my invention, and in said, drawings I have employed the same reference characters to designate like parts wherever they appear throughout the several views.

A conventional mantel and fire-place are illustrated in the drawings,'the mantel consisting of a horizontal shelf 10, supported upon vertical end or side walls 11 and 12 the lower portions of which are widened as at 14 to provide the shoulders shown in Figure 4, and said shelf and end walls are connected at their rear edges by a vertical back or rear wall 13, which may be the wall or .partition of the building or apartment in which the structure is erected or may be Athe back' of the compartment in the event the 'structure is manufactured as a unit or article of furniture. Across the front,l and below the shelf, there extends a movable wall that may be lowered when desired and is provided with a suitable shaped fireplace opening 16 that preferably extends down ractically to the floor or hearth and may e more or less ornate as desired.

The interior fireplace is formed bymeans of converging side walls 17 that are`connected to their forward vertical Aedgesto the respective vertical edges of the opening of the heat into the room. This arrangement of the walls 17 and 19 permit the latter i to be lifted slightly and the side walls 17 collapsed to fiat positions across the fireplace opening and then the top member 19 is laid flat against the backs of said side walls 17 substantially inthe manner shown in Figure 4. Thetop wall 19' is notched or shouldered as at m to insure the desired positioning of the upper edges of the'side walls as shown in Fi re 3.

The front wall 15 ot' the hereinbefore described structure as a lateral extension 2 1 extending inwardly along its upper longitudinal edge, which extension projects into the space below the shell:` 10, and there are also lateral extensions 22 projecting inwardly from the vertical side portion of front wall 15 that'e'xtend. into the space below the shelf and alongside the vertical side walls 11 and 12 of the mantel structure.-

These extensions 21 and 22 are less in width than the end walls 11 and 12 but extend deeper into the space behind the front wall than the fireplace walls. The bed springs 23 are suitably connected to the inner edges of these extensions so that the bed will be positioned entirelyvback of the fireplace wall so that-when the structurels opened asin Figure 4, the fireplace walls being collapsed, there is ample space above said walls to permit of the yielding of the spring tothe -limit of their flexibility. In order to obscure the bed from being seen from the front of the fireplace and mantel I have'providedA a back wall 24 for the fireplace opening which, like the other walls o the fireplace opening may be made from heat-insulating and fireproof material. This back wall 24 is supported in a pendent manner either from the springs 23 or by the cable y connected to theupper extension 21 of the front wall of the mantel so that under normal conditions, when the bed is closed, said wall 24 will engage the rear edges of the fireplace avancee walls 17 and 1.9, and when the structure is opened and the fireplace walls collapsed said back wall will rest upon the folded walls in the mannershown in Figure 4. d

There is preferably a hearth or base 2,5 that extends under the mantel walls andis provided adjacent each end with concave tracks or grooves 26 that extend transversely A inwardly from near the forward portion of the hearth. At' each end of the lower portion of the front wall there are rollers 27 that are mounted in angular brackets 28,

in the manner shown in Figure 6 and guard plurality of pieces or is provided with slots 31 into which the guard rails 29 will be positioned when the structure is opened. When lscribed except that it is either formed in a y the bed and frontwall structure are moved p ifrom vertical to horizontal positions the rollers 27 will permit the pivoting and sliding movement and there are also provided rollers 32 against which adjacent edges of the side extensios`22 engage, said rollers being mountedupon end walls 11 and 12 of the mantel structure. Suitable-counter balancing or equalizing means are provided in the form oit' a coiled spring 33 extending horizontally along the corner formed by the mantel 10 and rear wall 13, the ends of the spring being respectively connected with adjat ent ends of` cables 34 that pass over pulleys 35 in the corners of the back structure and then around guide rollers 36 to a convenient portion .of the bed and front wall structure where they are anchored at a suitable place by means of the pins or the like 37. Ornamental rotatable knobs 38 provide rests or supports for the outer' edge of the movable portion of the structure when it is in its lowered position while the rear portion is supported u on the rollers 27. The shanks of these kno s protrude through the 'front wall 15 and are provided with wings 39, upon their inner ends so that said Shanks may be rotated by reaching through apertures 40 in extension 21 when the structure is opened. Suitable Acables or wires 41 are connectedr to the Shanks of knobs 38 and at their other ends are connected to latching devices 42 which lock-the movable parts in their opened position and prevent them spring tension of the equalizer or counterbalance and also maintain the movable strucv ture inv closed or raised position when the bed and front wall are vertically disposed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the bed, mantel and fireplace parts may if desired be manufactured as a unit and installed in an apartment where it is necessary to have additional sleepin accommodations, or the mantel may be bui t during the erection of the building and therefore form a permanent portion thereof, after which the disappearing bed portions may be installed when the building is being finished with the trim and other final work therein. In connection with the foregoing it will also be noted that the length and height of the structure represents the respective length and width of the bed itself which will be of a size to readily accommodate one orI more persons thereon. In the event gas-logs are placed in the fireplace connection thereof is made with the gas pipe by means of flexible tubing of sufcient length to permit the logs to be removed from the fireplace and placed alongside the mantel before lowering the bed.

What I claim is 1 1. A device of the character described comprising a mantel structure having a fireplace opening in the vertical front wall thereof, an open rigid bed mounted on and carried by the front wall, walls hinged to the edges of the fire-place opening and extending inwardlyl and back of the fireplace opening whereby to provide a recess and to render the bed invisible through said opening, said hinged walls adapted to be folded upon each other upon the lowering of the bed, and hinges permitting the movement of the front wall to lower the bed to a horizontal position.

2. A device of the character described comprising a mantel having a front wall hinged at its lower portion and provided with a fireplace opening, a' bed connected to and movable with said front wall, and fireplace walls hinged to the edges of said opening and normally extended towards the bed and adapted to move away from the bed when the mantel front wall is lowered to a horizontal position whereby to permit the yielding of the bed springs when the bed is 1n use.

3. A device of the character described comprising a mantel structure having a fireplace opening in the vertical front wall thereof, a bed connected to said front wall, pivotal means at the lower portion of the front wall that is adapted to lower the bed to a horizontal position, and a plurality of movable walls -disposed back of the fireplace opening to form a walled recess and adapted to move to collapsed position to close the opening when the front wall is lowered.

4. A device of the character described comprising a mantel structure having a front wall hinged at its lower portion and provided with a fireplace opening, a bed connected to and movable with said front wall, a plurality of partition walls hinged at their forward edges to the edges of the `fireplace opening and providing a recess back of said opening and shielding the bed, said partition walls adapted when the mantel wall is lowered .to collapse flat upon each other whereby to accommodate the yielding of the bed springs when in use.

5. A device of the -character described comprising a mantel structure having an opening in the vertical front wall, top and side fireplace walls hinged to said front wall at the respective portions of the opening, a rear fireplace wall pendently hung from the upper portion of the mantel structure, and a bed frame connected to the movable portion of the mantel structure and normally in a vertical plane back of the rear fireplace wall, whereby when the front wall of the mantel structure is moved into a horizontal plane said bed structure will be correspondingly positioned and the fireplace walls will be collapsed flat upon each other below the bed structure.

(i. A device of the character described comprising a mantel structure having a hinged portion adapted to be moved to a horizontal position, a bed carried by said hinged portion, and a fireplace forming a part of said hinged portion, the walls of the 7 fireplace hinged t-o the edges of the fire place and adapted to be moved away Vfrom the bed and collapsed to permit the yielding of the bed springs in use.

7. A device of the character described comprising a hollow compartment open at the front, a hinged Wall closing the front. and provided with an opening extending upwardly from its lower edge, walls extending into the compartment and hinged to the edges of said opening, extensions on the edges of said front wall and normally positioned in said compartment, bed-springs connected to and supported by the inner edges of said extensions, and a wall back of said collapsible walls and hung pendent from an upper portion of the structure.

Signed at Chicago, in the county of ook and State of Illinois, this 2nd day of April,

ELDEN H. BEAN. 

